Temple’s Electricity Bill Mystery: Abbot Confounded by Asterisks

[webfact]

 

The abbot of Wat Pa Amphawan Khunanusorn in Buriram found himself perplexed when the temple’s latest electricity bill lacked both the FT charge and the total amount due, displaying only asterisks instead.

 

This incongruous bill has left the abbot and the temple’s supporters unsure of how to proceed with the payment.

 

Phra Ajarn Lesak Varrasapho, the abbot of Wat Pa Amphawan Khunanusorn in Nang Rong District, took to social media to express his bewilderment. He posted an image of the bill along with a puzzled message: “The electricity bill is 10,000 baht, but Wat Pa Amphawan… pays 0 baht… confused… dazed…”

 

When reporters visited the temple to investigate, Phra Ajarn Lesak showed them the infamous bill for May, which conspicuously lacked both an FT charge and a total payment amount.

 

Picture courtesy: Sanook

 

Normally, the temple pays between 3,000 to 4,000 baht each month, with this amount fluctuating based on the number of religious activities, funerals, or training sessions conducted.

 

The temple covers these costs through donations from the local community. Typically, the electricity bill is handed over to donors who contribute towards these expenses. However, due to the mysterious asterisks on the latest bill, it remains unclear how much the temple actually owes.

 

Phra Ajarn Lesak plans to take the bewildering bill to the electricity authority for clarification. He hopes to find out what caused the error and to determine the correct amount owed for the month. The abbot also urges officials to meticulously check bills before issuing them to avoid such confusion in the future.

 

The incident has highlighted the importance of accurate billing and the potential complications that can arise from even minor errors. 

 

Picture courtesy: Sanook

 

-- 2024-06-19

 

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[Gottfrid]

Really? It´s a simple computer problem. It has for example happened in my wife´s shop, when she took over the renting. The bill was full of those asterisks for the first 3 month. Every time she reported, and same answer. They will fix it. However, when contacting PEA, they could verify the wrong, and give the right amount to pay. How would it be if this monk just did the same and talked to the authority concerned instead of thinking it´s 15 minutes of fame in the news for something that already happened to others. Better to check all the stuff happening in the temples and all the monks who break the law instead. They have far enough to clean up in that line of work.

[Jenkins9039]

Thai's like their 15 mins of fame away from the mundane.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The temple covers these costs through donations from the local community. Typically, the electricity bill is handed over to donors who contribute towards these expenses.

Nice.

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Phra Ajarn Lesak plans to take the bewildering bill to the electricity authority for clarification........

Which any normal person would have done in the first place. 🙄

[0ffshore360]

22 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Which any normal person would have done in the first place. 🙄

Waiting for better transport than pillion on the usual Wave 110 .

[soalbundy]

6 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Really? It´s a simple computer problem. It has for example happened in my wife´s shop, when she took over the renting. The bill was full of those asterisks for the first 3 month. Every time she reported, and same answer. They will fix it. However, when contacting PEA, they could verify the wrong, and give the right amount to pay. How would it be if this monk just did the same and talked to the authority concerned instead of thinking it´s 15 minutes of fame in the news for something that already happened to others. Better to check all the stuff happening in the temples and all the monks who break the law instead. They have far enough to clean up in that line of work.

Better still, ask Obelix

[loong]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Typically, the electricity bill is handed over to donors who contribute towards these expenses.

With all the money these temples take in, they don't even pay the electricity bills themselves?.

[Mason45]

5 minutes ago, loong said:

With all the money these temples take in, they don't even pay the electricity bills themselves?.

I have 2 brother in laws monks, I give them nothing, both are around 30 years younger than me, they both have skills in the building industry. If They have cash flow problems, then they need to change their career paths.

[nahkit]

Over the 14 years we've lived in this particular house I've seen a few of these, always on the floor, underneath the box they put the real bill in. I'd always assumed they were generated when the meter reader wanted to check the paper alignment before printing the actual bill.

[brianthainess]

Why doesn't the Abbot just drive to the PEA office in his car ? or talk to them on Line from his smart phone.

Edited June 20 by brianthainess